Two Souls, Many Storms

Tornados be damned

Diner is quick and amazing. Filet with corn on the cob and a baked potato.  Made by the new resident chef who I exchange emails with. He promises to send me some easy recopies i could cook in the limited space I have.  I thank him with a hug and head on my way. I have a hot load of freight that cant miss its deadline. 

The envelope goes unopened till the next day. I want to sit down and relax and make sure that it has my attention fully. The demands on my part are easy with the exception of one item and what I would be getting back is more then sufficient. Rowdy listens to what I have to say in regards to where I would call home during my mandatory year of prospecting. She tells me that she gets it and that she is sure that changing my prospecting from Florida to any where but there would not be a problem. She just hopes that at some point I would reconsider

I let her know what my plan is with my current job and how I have to stay long enough to have surgery. My word is everything to me and I gave it. Six more months of driving and I am officially free. One last trip to pa to my storage unit to clear out my shit and then off to Nevada I go in my new truck. No need to get motels or stop the see the scenery just gas and food and occasional break to stretch out piss.

I  am given a quick tour and then showed my room and my office. Even though I wont be officially given the job, as a prospect I am told to set it up. So I do. Formalities so to say. 

Setting up my own program and lists is something I love. I ask for a list of each member patched and not patched for each charter and I organize them with there own codes and what each person is good at and where they thrive in. Any special training or fears. I need to know it all. It makes things so much easier but takes weeks. With a couple of thousand people to put into the program its bound to take that much time. 

I also work on making lists of company's that offer assistance and what they offer. Each charter has there own set of things they have such as the charter in Nashville has a shower trailer, the NY charter has industrial kitchens on wheels. Rowdy has tents in all sizes and shapes. My chapter has a stockpile of first aid kits along with a twenty foot trailer to put those kits to use.

By the time the first natural disaster happens I am ready to go. At least as best I can. I even have a text message program written for me by a fellow prospect. Its easy to use. I type in codes for each person and then the message and it sends it out all at once. 

So for this disaster which is a string of tornadoes hit Texas I send out a message to the president of the Nashville charter, Rowdy gets one, as well as the members that have search and rescue experience and EMTs that are with in driving distance. I also get boots on grounds to the local chapters in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado. 

The president of the Nevada charter I am prospecting at tells me to go and sends me with a trailer loaded with supplies and my mobile office. Another thing I set up. It makes it so when I am on the go I can still access my programs and list of people. I have paper files just in case and a personal stash of random items like scissors and candles. I am not going to say it went off with out a hitch because it did but now I know what works and what does not. Each time I am off to something has a learning curve. No two are the same. 

I know what items were needed and what ones just did not work. I am in my element and I cant help but feel like this is where I belong. 

I wish I could text Shannon but I cant bring myself to. Not yet. I want to do a few more things for myself. I want to come to her with my shit together and I'm not there yet. Perfection takes time they say well I am not looking for perfection just better then I was. 

Some things go smoothly and something's don't and that's okay. Everyone gave more then one hundred percent. I know that I need to make some changes and my notebook is full of little messages and feedback. Also the day before we pack up to go home I hold a meeting and ask everyone to fill out a survey on what they think we can do better with. Not surprising most of it is the same things I knew but I did get an ask for maps of the area posted with what is where. So as we set up we can mark off and post the maps around the camp so to say

Heading home is bitter sweet for me. I cant wait to implement the changes but I really enjoyed seeing all my hard work work for the better good of those who need it.